Unemployment in Metropolitan Lima increased in the first quarter of this year, according to the INEI

The latest technical report ‘Situation of the labor market in Metropolitan Lima’, prepared based on the data obtained from the Permanent National Employment Survey (EPEN, carried out by the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI), reported the increase in unemployment in the capital during the first three months of the year. The data show that in Metropolitan Lima unemployment rose to 7.7%. This represents an increase of 0.2% compared to last year’s first quarterly report. This statistic, according to the INEI, affected women more than men.

Despite the increase in unemployment in Metropolitan Limahe INEI reported that there was an improvement with respect to the employed population; That is to say, although more people are looking for work, there are also others who are finding it quickly. In the first quarter of 2024, this group increased by 4.6% compared to 2023: more than 200,000 citizens managed to enter the labor market. Overall, the report’Situation of the labor market in Metropolitan Lima returns a total of 5,359,700 employed people, without necessarily implying that they meet the basic working conditions. Regarding segmentation on the quality of jobs, it was reported that underemployment grew by 4.2%. That is, more people are immersed in a job in which they may not have reasonable hours or good working conditions; while the population with a better job grew by 4.9%, giving a total of 3,151,100.

Monthly income per person grows in Metropolitan Lima

The report prepared by the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics indicates that the average monthly income per person was 1,979 soles, which meant an increase of 7.5% compared to the 2023 figures. Of the total number of employed people in the capital, the National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) indicates that 46% are women and the remaining 54% are men. These figures represent an increase of 3.9% and 5.2%, respectively, in contrast to the results of 2023. The areas where employment increased are construction, which grew 7.7%; commerce, by 6.5%; services, at 6.4% and manufacturing, with 1.8%.

The division by age group also presented changes. The employed population under 25 years of age decreased by 2.9%, while the rate of employed people between 25 and 44 years of age increased by 2.6%. The same happened with the group over 45, which had a significant growth of 10.7% during January, February and March 2024.

Regarding the educational level of people in Metropolitan Lima, the report of National Institute of Statistics and Informatics (INEI) asserted that citizens who have primary education or a lower level increased by 11.6%. On the other hand, those who have a university level of education grew by 8.9%, while people who have a non-university higher education level increased by 5.6%.